Items in cart are not updating or shopping cart is empty

When you encounter issues in your client photo galleries like your shopping cart not updating after adding items or it showing as empty, it's generally due to a problem with cache. Many WordPress websites use caching through a plugin to enhance their site's speed. Caching is a method that allows a site to avoid repeatedly accessing the database by creating and storing static versions of pages. This process significantly speeds up the website because it reduces the amount of data processing required each time a page is loaded.

However, caching can become a hindrance when it comes to dynamic pages, especially in e-commerce settings where each user has unique data. For example, in an online store, each customer's shopping cart is dynamic, constantly changing as they add or remove products. When caching is applied to these pages, it can cause issues. The cached version of the page, which might not include the latest updates like newly added items to a cart, is what gets displayed to the user. This results in the cart either not showing the most recent items added or appearing empty, even though the user has selected products. This problem arises because the cached version is static and does not reflect real-time changes made by the user.

In essence, while caching is beneficial for loading static content quickly, its application on dynamic pages like shopping carts can lead to these frustrating scenarios where the user's actions are not immediately reflected on the website.

Learn more on how to get caching to work with Sunshine Photo Cart